Here's yet another reason why you should quite smoking even before you get pregnant: A study indicates that babies exposed to cigarette smoke before birth or during the first months afterwards run a greater risk of developing asthma and allergy.

The study showed that children of mothers who had smoked while pregnant ran double the risk of developing asthma before the age of four. There was also a clear correlation between the number of cigarettes smoked and the risk of developing asthma.

Her thesis also shows that Passive smoking in early childhood increases the risk of allergy. Four-year olds who were exposed to tobacco smoke when they were two months old had IgE antibodies (allergy antibodies) against one or more allergens in the blood more often than their coevals from non-smoking homes. The strongest correlation was observed for antibodies against cat allergens, which were twice as common in these children.

Having a child with asthma and multiple allergies myself, I know how tough it is to take care of kids with such health problems. If quitting smoking can save you and your child the trouble, it's worth the effort, particularly if asthma and allergies run in your family.